Here is another one of the Century showing the complete outside. It was taken in May 2005:
[url=http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b189/mrchronoman/century.jpg]
I hope when its finally being torn down someone who lives in Hamilton can take some pictures to see what was covered up in the re-modelling.
I recently found a 1968 newspaper interview with Victor Nowe, the manager of the Odeon Carlton for 15 years at that time.
Nowe said the Carlton box office would net one million dollars that fiscal year……more than any other movie theatre in Canada.
He said the Carlton took in $79,000 in one week when “Thunderball” played there. That was also a record at the time for a single film in any Canadian movie theatre. The record before that of just over $59,000 was also set at the Carlton for “Goldfinger”.
Nowe also mentioned that the restaurant in the theatre was closed in 1964 because Ontario’s archaic liquor laws back then prohibited theatres from having a liquor licence. He wanted to run a “class” restaurant and said that could not be done without a liquor licence.
I also found a clipping in a 1976 Theatre Organ magazine about the Odeon Carlton’s organ. The original plans were to buy and re-build a Wurlitzer from the Metropolitan Theatre in Boston but the article says internal politics and Odeon’s supply house made it impossible to do anything other than buy a new instrument. Bids were received from several companies and eventually Hillgreen-Lane won the contract. Stewart Duncan, the writer of the article, says the Carlton had four organists from its opening in 1948 to when it was closed: Al Bollington, Bobby Jones, Dorothy Bromby and Colin Corbett.
I remember visiting the RKO Palace in late 1962 during a visit to Rochester. The balcony was closed off and the theatre seemed a bit run down. I wished I had been there during its better days.
It would have made great showplace for Rochester but back then I don’t think many people gave much thought to saving old theatres. The demolition of many grand old theatres across North America was just beginning.
hamiltonmark: Thanks. I saw the postcard with the terminal building showing the Savoy yesterday. Thats when I knew I had it wrong. The library researcher (and what you posted on the Tivoli site) said the Downtown was the old Grand Opera House and Granada. Its been over 40 years since I was in the place so my recollections are a bit fuzzy. I would sure like to see a photo of the Grand or Granada before it was the Downtown.
Ooops!
I have just been looking at two other pieces of information..the Pringle Papers and World Theatres..and they both refer to the Savoy as being on Merrick Street.It was pulled down in 1955. The World Theatres page also lists the Downtown as a separate movie theatre at 102 James St.
Still confused.
Hamilton Mark:
I think I can now answer my own question about the Downtown Theatre. I have been looking through John C Lindsay’s book on movie theatres in Canada (Palace’s of the night) and there is an interior shot of the old Savoy. Thats exactly how I remember the stage of the Downtown.
It does not look like the entrance to the Palace on King Street. There were other buildings adjacent to the Palace entrance, which was much bigger, with no space in between. Your building looks like it is on a corner. Also your picture has some buildings at right angles which would not jibe with King Street.
Maybe this is a neighbourhood theatre in the west end…or the old CHCH building which used to be a theatre?
I agree its too bad the Tivoli is being left to rot. Perhaps there is a way someone can get in with some floodlights and take some pictures before it is demolished. A pictorial record of the interior in the Hamilton Public Library would be one way to preserve the Tivoli’s history.
Unfortunately its contribution to Hamilton’s history as a building has long been over. Its in a badly run down part of town and it is very old so it would take a miracle to find someone with money to invest to keep it open. Better theatres in the downtown area eg the Palace and Capitol were lost many years ago. I think the Palace would have made a great concert hall and should have been kept.
I was in Hamilton over the summer and took some photo’s of the demolished front part and the auditorium which was still standing.
Is it still like this?
If anyone wants a picture let me know and I will e mail it to you.
Box Office Bill wrote" I remember that the Capitol’s presentation of the film was absolutely superb. But, then, that was all to be expected."
Bill…can you paint a word picture for us about the presentation at the Capitol? What did they do (or do differently) that impressed you?
Presentation has always been a big thing for me ever since my days in 1960 as a part-time projectionist in a 400 seat theatre. Even so, presentation was drilled into us.
Thanks.
The seating capacity at the Dorchester came from Robert Curry’s book.
Its been almost 45 years since I was in the Dorchester so I could not remember how many people it would hold.
However when I first saw it listed at 1507, I thought that figure was a bit low. I would have estimated it at around 17 hundred based on my failing memory.
I am quite happy to go with David’s figure of 1806. I remember him when he worked there and he was a fountain of information about the place.
OK then……if its a given that Radio City Music Hall needed to be saved and we had the power to save one other, which other theatre in that area (Roxy, Capitol, Paramount, Loews State, Rivoli etc) should have been kept and why?
My vote would go the Capitol. The glorious excess, size and upkeep of the Roxy would have made it too expensive to keep in any era. The Paramount was in an office building which could not have lasted. But the Capitol was self-standing and could perhaps been renovated and run like the Fox, Detroit and many others.
SimonL:
I’ve also been looking for a few years….there seems to be a real shortage of good interior shots of the Roxy. The Theatre Historical Society has a painting of it on its website. They also put out a booklet on the Roxy several years ago which may have more. If not, they may have stuff in their archives.
I hope someone comes up with something. Thanks for asking the question.
Buster: I don’t think there have been any movies shown at the Fox, Detroit for a few years now. In fact I am not sure the projection equipment is still there. I called the projectionists union local in Detroit last year to see any projectionists could get me up to the booth but I was told they have not sent anyone there for quite a while and he thought the equipment had been taken out. I could be wrong but thats the info I was given. Maybe John could weigh in here.
I was in the Fox last October and tried to see from the balcony what was behind the ports but I could not tell.
I also saw Ben Hur at the Fox years ago. What a magnificent and appropriate place to have seen it.
Just for the record…..
the history and information I used to create this page on the Dorchester came from my own knowledge, the book “Last Complete Performance-in memory of Hull’s cinemas” by Robert Curry at the Local History Unit at Hull College and the Interludes Hotel posters website in Scarborough.
Chris Ketchum at the Hull College Local History Unit kindly supplied me with interior and exterior photos of the Dorchester which were taken before it was demolished.
Thanks for having the camera ready Hamiltonmark!
Here is a link to some photos of the Odeon Carlton:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/theatrebuff
Photo sources: Province of Ontario Archives and the Globe and Mail newspaper.
Here’s another link to the same photo I posted on photobucket:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/theatrebuff/
Here is another one of the Century showing the complete outside. It was taken in May 2005:
[url=http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b189/mrchronoman/century.jpg]
I hope when its finally being torn down someone who lives in Hamilton can take some pictures to see what was covered up in the re-modelling.
I recently found a 1968 newspaper interview with Victor Nowe, the manager of the Odeon Carlton for 15 years at that time.
Nowe said the Carlton box office would net one million dollars that fiscal year……more than any other movie theatre in Canada.
He said the Carlton took in $79,000 in one week when “Thunderball” played there. That was also a record at the time for a single film in any Canadian movie theatre. The record before that of just over $59,000 was also set at the Carlton for “Goldfinger”.
Nowe also mentioned that the restaurant in the theatre was closed in 1964 because Ontario’s archaic liquor laws back then prohibited theatres from having a liquor licence. He wanted to run a “class” restaurant and said that could not be done without a liquor licence.
I also found a clipping in a 1976 Theatre Organ magazine about the Odeon Carlton’s organ. The original plans were to buy and re-build a Wurlitzer from the Metropolitan Theatre in Boston but the article says internal politics and Odeon’s supply house made it impossible to do anything other than buy a new instrument. Bids were received from several companies and eventually Hillgreen-Lane won the contract. Stewart Duncan, the writer of the article, says the Carlton had four organists from its opening in 1948 to when it was closed: Al Bollington, Bobby Jones, Dorothy Bromby and Colin Corbett.
Here are some links for pictures of the Dorchester:
View link
View link
View link
View link
Thanks to David Alexander for supplying them. They are used with his permission.
I remember visiting the RKO Palace in late 1962 during a visit to Rochester. The balcony was closed off and the theatre seemed a bit run down. I wished I had been there during its better days.
It would have made great showplace for Rochester but back then I don’t think many people gave much thought to saving old theatres. The demolition of many grand old theatres across North America was just beginning.
hamiltonmark: Thanks. I saw the postcard with the terminal building showing the Savoy yesterday. Thats when I knew I had it wrong. The library researcher (and what you posted on the Tivoli site) said the Downtown was the old Grand Opera House and Granada. Its been over 40 years since I was in the place so my recollections are a bit fuzzy. I would sure like to see a photo of the Grand or Granada before it was the Downtown.
RobertR:
Look at all those fabulous movie theatres to choose from in just one page of ads!
Ooops!
I have just been looking at two other pieces of information..the Pringle Papers and World Theatres..and they both refer to the Savoy as being on Merrick Street.It was pulled down in 1955. The World Theatres page also lists the Downtown as a separate movie theatre at 102 James St.
Still confused.
Hamilton Mark:
I think I can now answer my own question about the Downtown Theatre. I have been looking through John C Lindsay’s book on movie theatres in Canada (Palace’s of the night) and there is an interior shot of the old Savoy. Thats exactly how I remember the stage of the Downtown.
It does not look like the entrance to the Palace on King Street. There were other buildings adjacent to the Palace entrance, which was much bigger, with no space in between. Your building looks like it is on a corner. Also your picture has some buildings at right angles which would not jibe with King Street.
Maybe this is a neighbourhood theatre in the west end…or the old CHCH building which used to be a theatre?
I agree its too bad the Tivoli is being left to rot. Perhaps there is a way someone can get in with some floodlights and take some pictures before it is demolished. A pictorial record of the interior in the Hamilton Public Library would be one way to preserve the Tivoli’s history.
Unfortunately its contribution to Hamilton’s history as a building has long been over. Its in a badly run down part of town and it is very old so it would take a miracle to find someone with money to invest to keep it open. Better theatres in the downtown area eg the Palace and Capitol were lost many years ago. I think the Palace would have made a great concert hall and should have been kept.
I was in Hamilton over the summer and took some photo’s of the demolished front part and the auditorium which was still standing.
Is it still like this?
If anyone wants a picture let me know and I will e mail it to you.
Box Office Bill wrote" I remember that the Capitol’s presentation of the film was absolutely superb. But, then, that was all to be expected."
Bill…can you paint a word picture for us about the presentation at the Capitol? What did they do (or do differently) that impressed you?
Presentation has always been a big thing for me ever since my days in 1960 as a part-time projectionist in a 400 seat theatre. Even so, presentation was drilled into us.
Thanks.
Here is a picture of the Fox, Detroit showing the huge marquee and part of the huge auditorium and office building:
View link
The seating capacity at the Dorchester came from Robert Curry’s book.
Its been almost 45 years since I was in the Dorchester so I could not remember how many people it would hold.
However when I first saw it listed at 1507, I thought that figure was a bit low. I would have estimated it at around 17 hundred based on my failing memory.
I am quite happy to go with David’s figure of 1806. I remember him when he worked there and he was a fountain of information about the place.
OK then……if its a given that Radio City Music Hall needed to be saved and we had the power to save one other, which other theatre in that area (Roxy, Capitol, Paramount, Loews State, Rivoli etc) should have been kept and why?
My vote would go the Capitol. The glorious excess, size and upkeep of the Roxy would have made it too expensive to keep in any era. The Paramount was in an office building which could not have lasted. But the Capitol was self-standing and could perhaps been renovated and run like the Fox, Detroit and many others.
Attention Richard Dziadzio and Tim Elliot.
Could you contact me privately by e mail re some info from your previous posts?
Thanks.
SimonL:
I’ve also been looking for a few years….there seems to be a real shortage of good interior shots of the Roxy. The Theatre Historical Society has a painting of it on its website. They also put out a booklet on the Roxy several years ago which may have more. If not, they may have stuff in their archives.
I hope someone comes up with something. Thanks for asking the question.
Re: the interior photo’s…..it looks like the projection booth was added after the theatre was built. Can anyone verify? Thanks.
John:
Thanks for clearing things up!
Buster: I don’t think there have been any movies shown at the Fox, Detroit for a few years now. In fact I am not sure the projection equipment is still there. I called the projectionists union local in Detroit last year to see any projectionists could get me up to the booth but I was told they have not sent anyone there for quite a while and he thought the equipment had been taken out. I could be wrong but thats the info I was given. Maybe John could weigh in here.
I was in the Fox last October and tried to see from the balcony what was behind the ports but I could not tell.
I also saw Ben Hur at the Fox years ago. What a magnificent and appropriate place to have seen it.
Just for the record…..
the history and information I used to create this page on the Dorchester came from my own knowledge, the book “Last Complete Performance-in memory of Hull’s cinemas” by Robert Curry at the Local History Unit at Hull College and the Interludes Hotel posters website in Scarborough.
Chris Ketchum at the Hull College Local History Unit kindly supplied me with interior and exterior photos of the Dorchester which were taken before it was demolished.
bobb:
Good to see someone cared enough to present Carousel that way after so long. Any plans to expand the project?